Race: Human, mostly - like most Arelish aristocrats, there's enough elfin blood in there to lend him pointy ears, improved reflexes and a weak constitution.

Description: A gaunt old gentleman, with severely balding grey hair and a neatly-kept silver moustache. Usually wears a suit (or at least a waistcoat) and a monocle, which he obsessively polishes. Carries an umbrella at all times while outside.

Nation: The Empire of Areland, which, for brevity's sake, can be described as a fantastic version of Victorian England, where the culture did not advance with the new technology. Top hats and overbuilt dirty factories abound, flooding the streets between their glittering towers with thick industrial smog. Rich in resources, made wealthy by the sale of high-tech manufactured goods and cutting-edge weapons, and protected by sheer mountains and tumultuous waters, this aloof kingdom clings to its aristocracy as a sign of a golden age it never really had, and its arrogance and ambition see it as an imperialist contender.

Ambition: Discovery, dear boy! To see the unknown, catalogue it, and write a bloody good book about it to publish back home!

Bio: Born to a titular baron with a silver spoon in his mouth and quick to take to books as a child, HR Twinesworth excelled in many fields of study, and inevitably took a career with the Royal Academy of Scientists once it became available to him. His specialized fields were history and anthropology, and he had a strong fascination with archaeology. Though he is not the most preeminent scientist in any one field, his slightly crazed insistence on being there personally at dig-sites and anywhere else the cutting edge of science could be found earned him something of a maniacal reputation among his peers. Regardless, his commitment earned him the Order Chivalric of the Empire, a high civilian honour (which had nothing to do with his esteemed noble background, of course). When the possibility of exploring a new world came up, he didn't need to be convinced to jump in, diving headfirst into the unknown.

Rumours:
They say Professor Twinesworth was responsible for discovering the first ever cave paintings.
They say Professor Twinesworth secretly trains with historic weapons such as the bow and arrow and is a master at their use.
They say Professor Twinesworth inherited a huge estate worth millions of credollars.
They say Professor Twinesworth refuses to even consider wasting his time on courting, since noble romance is heavily politicized in Areland and all that.
They say Professor Twinesworth once went into an active battlefield to investigate an archaeological dig site dating from the Old Imperium.

Minions: HR Twinesworth is not the only child of Areland travelling on this expedition, as Emperor Edwin decided that the Arelish would contribute a national contingent to the expedition. Funded by the crown, this expedition includes scientists, grey-coated soldiers and all kinds of colonists. Though HR is happy to travel with anyone, his countrymen will no doubt make good companions. (Of course, this 'national contingent' is actually just going to confirm that colonization is possible and identify the immediate stumbling blocks. Once that is confirmed, Emperor Edwin wants to establish a separate national colony to exploit the local resources and population, and build a true empire.)

Ships: Professor Twinesworth travelled on the Indomitable, a ship which is not his but Emperor Edwin's. Most of the Arelander contingent are on the ship, along with the other explorers and colonists they were obliged to carry. HR Twinesworth is quite welcoming to the foreign explorers he shares the boat with, if a little haughty - most of the other Arelish are far more arrogant and insular.